‘To my country. To Ukraine’
By Andriy Syrotenko
Orange Revolution
Feelings (intro)
I believe that things that happen to you are always for a reason. After the political battles have passed; after Mr. Moroz joined his political rivals Partiya Regioniv to obtain speaker’s seat in the parliament of Ukraine using his last shot he could ever make; and after me, who tries to believe in at least some kind of (rather tries to find the least dirty politician to make a bid on) was ready to make my choice (choice made but never voted) for the Socialist party where Moroz is a leader; after I was stabbed in the back by Moroz; after the cold shower of despair and frustration has come down on me; after I said fuck politics for some time; after our new and old leader chosen and sponsored by eastern Ukrainian oligarchs went to Moscow to beg for the slowdown in prices rise on gas, hitting in the back our economics in the long term, but pleasing those who are thinking of today only, dumb idiots never studying history, never learning, never understanding that zek, a convict, accused and spent some years in the prison for burglar and rape, is not the best face, is not the best representative of the country, after all this I am receiving a request to describe my involvement in the events called now as ‘Orange Revolution’. Ok, good deal, I will try to rewind the events back to understand my place and my attitude then.
First day. With friends we agreed to meet at the Central Square called Maydan Nezalezhnosti or Independence Square. Looks like, someone doesn’t want us to express our choice. Looks like Ukraine is ready to turn to a backward country, to the outskirts of Europe, to be another Belarus, to be the younger brother as always of Moscow, of Big Russian brother, of cheap gas, of Russian language, to be another Central Asian country not geographically but politically of course. Big mordas (Yanukovich on big boards are looking at us, stupid idiot who cannot say a word without a prompter) are all around inviting to join the country of illegal, dumb, soviet minded bureaucrats, living by their communist slogans, by parades and demonstrations of their inexistent power. I do not want to belong there.
No special plans for the day. Everybody came. Most of the friends with whom we spent big chunks of our lives, now we are here united in our single wish to support, to defend the choice. Not much, not less. And not to let them occupy and dictate where Ukraine should move. We, basically discussing the news, what is going on, what are the results of the vote, ect.
We (our friends, myself included, Ukrainians as a nation, we those who supported the orange side, hereinafter referred to as ‘WE’) listen to the orange (let us call them orange team till the end of the story) leaders who basically address the crowds with slogans to keep them energetic and ready for civil disobedience.
Great mood. Sense of unity with friends, sense of unity in values brought up by parents and by personal life experience. We are here for some special purpose. We want to believe. There is a sense of making a change for the benefit of ourselves and generations to come.
More people are joining. They are smiling. The Square is all orange. Energy coming out people’s hearts. But it is getting colder. Not sure how much it was the first day. But we, stood in the frost for a few weeks in the cold (up to 17 – 20 ish below Centigrade). Some people lived in the tents in this cold.
Already on a small bridge with some students. They offered us wine, or vodka. No glasses. From the bottle. Great feeling of sharing and trust to people.
First day is hectic as the leaders did not expect so many people to show up. Therefore, today, the main task is to keep people busy, excited, ready (as I would say to kick some ass or to rock’n’roll) to defend their even right of being on the Square. Rumors has spread that during the night the troops will come and disperse the folks, destroy and remove the tent city that grown on the main street of the city and on the square. The tents are quickly being surrounded by heavy benches joint by wire so that cars would not be able to come close.
My friends and me have to leave to celebrate the birthday of our friend from Kyrgyzstan. We make sure that everything is more or less under control, no riots, people are less but they are not leaving the place. We depart for a few hours.
Analysis (body)
I am not an expert. Nor politician. Not a journalist. No special analysis ever done before. For more sophisticated analysis and feedback, please, turn to professionals. They receive money for what they do. I don’t. I, therefore, express my civil point of view. As a citizen of Ukraine. As a Ukrainian.
There you go.
Q1. Why did I personally take part in the events?
My response:
My personal desire for changes in the country of Ukraine, ordinary people lives
My wish to be with friends
My strong conviction that yes we can make a difference. No one else but us. You and me
It is time to rock’n’roll
It is time to make a history for the country
Q2. What have you personally done to contribute?
My response:
I cast my vote exercising the right (I would say tribute to my country) of a citizen
I was creating masses together with other people to push, to press the authorities make decision, to make the authorities to respect and account for US (not the USA but US people)
I cheered up people, I contributed a piece of myself into the great spirit to gain, to deserve victory.
Q3. Did the people get paid for living in the tents in the cold, for making a crowd, for casting a vote for this or that candidate, for spreading the hand outs about candidates?
My response:
The answer is yes. On both sides. Many. For all the things described above. A lot of funds have been spent. Don’t know the amounts, haven’t seen cheque, and didn’t see a contract. No reliable information can be obtained from this source. I witnessed people earning money on elections for casting a vote, for falsifying the results of the votes calculations, for provoking people. The people were also beaten, the journalists were fired, and policemen prevented people from entering voting booths. The people were made to sign off what candidate they voted for under the threat of being fired, beaten etc. They were made to go to demonstrations otherwise fired. Easy question, answer is complicated.
Conclusion (message)
It was like a lesson, I would like to wish for everyone to have. It was a time when I truly and deeply began to respect and love my country men, my Ukrainians. Who stood up, who showed unity, who made others to be respected in the world, to be known not only for Chornobyl, not only for Dynamo Kyiv, not only for corruption and bureaucracy, not only for shooting down the Russian airplane with Jews over Crimea, not only for supplying cheap illegal labor to European countries and prostitutes to brothels over the globe. We, stood up, we proved that we are a strong nation, despite of all the differences, we are civilized and peaceful. It is one of the strongest feelings you can ever have in your life: the feeling of happiness to belong to this nation, to these people.
To my country. To Ukraine.
Mariupol
31.08.2006
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